Mobile Balance Digital Purchase Limit Raised

Bangladesh Bank has announced a significant increase in the limit for purchasing digital products and services using mobile phone balances, in a move aimed at promoting digital transactions and enhancing accessibility to both government and private services.

Under the new guidelines, a customer can now spend up to Tk 2,000 per month and a maximum of Tk 20,000 per year using mobile balances to purchase digital goods and services. Previously, the monthly and annual limits were Tk 600 and Tk 3,000 respectively. The revision follows a request from the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) and reflects rising demand in the market.

Lt. Col. (Retd.) Mohammad Zulfikar, Secretary General of AMTOB, stated:
“Mobile users will now be able to purchase various digital services up to Tk 2,000 per month, compared with the earlier limit of Tk 600. This includes 33 government services such as birth, death, and marriage registration, citizenship and orphan certificates, new voter verification services, as well as local and international OTT and entertainment platforms.”

Bangladesh Bank noted that the new limit is being implemented in accordance with the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2024, under the Direct Operator Billing (DOB) service framework. Mobile operators will be authorised to provide DOB services until 30 June 2026, pending the issuance of formal directives.

Operators providing DOB services must comply with the following conditions:

Adherence to anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws.

Sale of mobile-compatible digital products only.

Prioritisation of their own products and services.

Prohibition of social media apps, virtual currencies, gambling, cryptocurrencies, lotteries, forex trading, and multi-level marketing.

Obtaining Bangladesh Bank approval for foreign currency remittance.

Ensuring delivery of products, protecting consumer rights, and implementing refund policies.

A summary of the revised limits is provided below:

Bangladesh Bank expects that the forthcoming DOB directives will make mobile payments more transparent, secure, and user-friendly. Experts suggest that the increase in limits will accelerate the growth of the country’s digital economy, enabling users to access both government and private digital services more conveniently and flexibly.